Colposcopy in China: challenges for a new national society

Oct 17, 2018

A new star in the colposcopic firmament has arrived with the formation of the National Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology in China (CSCCP). The first meeting of this national society took place last week with 800 delegates at the Congress which lasted 3 days. Another 300 attended a pre-Congress course run by Prof Singer where he gave a 3 ½ hour combined Basic and Advanced Colposcopy course with slides presented in Chinese. There was much enthusiasm from the audience and it is hoped a similar course in China will be held later this year.

The Chinese society will hopefully join the International Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology Society (IFCCP) and immediately with its large numbers will be a formidable force for good within this international organisation. The quality of presentations at the meeting was very high and many Chinese clinicians and scientists have participated in a variety of research trials over the last decade. Some of these trials have involved the #HPV #vaccine while others have concentrated on the screening of #cervical #cancer.

Early presentations at the congress highlighted the enormous problem faced in this country with a population of 1.2 billion and with a high and increasing rate of cervix #cancer. Cervix cancer sufferers in China account for nearly one quarter of the world’s burden of cervix cancer. The rate, as one would expect, is higher in the cities than in the rural areas but rates in both these centres are rising.

It is hoped that a national HPV screening program will be implemented in conjunction with increased emphasis on #vaccination, both in the near future. It will be a formidable task in China to reverse the increasing incidents of cervical cancer but at least a start has been made by the formation of this national society that will have the support of many other national societies going forward into the future, including the BSCCP which presented a certificate of congratulations. It was great to see so many representatives from abroad at the meeting in China and all have wished the society well and offered support in respect of training young Chinese colposcopists.